Theoretical and Experimental Evaluation of AoA Estimation in Single-Anchor 5G Uplink Positioning

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of AoA-based single-anchor 5G uplink positioning, combining simulations and experimental results to analyze algorithm choices, calibration errors, and real-world performance in complex environments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive assessment of AoA and range-based algorithms in a novel single-anchor 5G positioning testbed, highlighting practical challenges and solutions.

Findings

AoA estimation accuracy is significantly affected by antenna calibration errors.

Algorithm choice impacts channel order and positioning precision.

Simulation results closely match experimental data, validating the testbed.

Abstract

As we move towards 6G, the demand for high-precision, cost-effective positioning solutions becomes increasingly critical. Single-anchor positioning offers a promising alternative to traditional multi-anchor approaches, particularly in complex propagation environments where infrastructure costs and deployment constraints present significant challenges. This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of key algorithmic choices in the development of a single-anchor 5G uplink positioning testbed. Our developed testbed uses angle of arrival (AoA) estimation combined with range measurements from an ultra-wideband pair, to derive the position. The simulations conducted assess the impact of the selected algorithms on channel order and AoA estimation, while the influence of antenna calibration errors on AoA estimation is also examined. Finally, we compare simulations and results obtained from our developed platform.